Thank you
by Jade MacGrath
Summary: little Captain Swan scene after the end of 3x01. Written for vastlyunknown on Tumblr. prompt: cheek kiss


When he was certain everyone's breath was deep and slow, Hook allowed himself to relax. Finally, he thought. Alone at last. Waiting for everyone to fall asleep had taken longer than expected, but in the end, after he made sure his travel companions wouldn't wake up until the following morning, Hook had opened his eyes and he had silently gotten back on his feet.

He briefly glanced at Emma, laying perfectly still on the ground, and his mind cruelly presented him again with the image of a lifeless, not breathing Emma in his father's arms, both drenched in sea water. Hook sighed, and walked to the beach where they first arrived earlier that night. He needed to think, and the closer to the sea, the better. He wouldn't be able to sleep anyway. Not with the sound of one thousand children crying in his head.

Such a pity the was fresh out of rum. God knew if he didn't need a drink, or a dozen, to keep his nightmares at bay that night.

"What are you doing?"

Hook couldn't help but let out a bitter chuckle. Of course. Trust this damn island to give you what you wanted at the most wrong time.

"Go back to sleep, lass. Enjoy the quiet while you still can."

He didn't expect Emma to do as she was told, and hearing the soft sound of steps on the sand coming in his direction didn't surprise him one bit. What surprised him, though, was the feeling on Emma's hand on his shoulder.

"The same way you are?"

Hook turned to look at her. There she was, alive, well, ready to fight. But the panic he felt when he thought she had died didn't seem intentioned to leave him alone anytime soon.

"Why are you here, Emma?"

"My mother told me. What you've done for me."

"I would've done it for anybody on my ship."

"Even Gold?"

Hook raised his eyes skywards with a smirk. So much for peace and quiet. "The Dark One would've never jumped overboard to make a point."

His smirk slowly faded. "He would've never done something so stupid."

"That was the only way to get your attention."

"And you got it. Along with a close encounter with death! Do you have any idea of what you put us through?"

Emma lowered her eyes. "My parents made sure to let me know _exactly_ how they felt about it."

"Good. Then now it's my turn," said the pirate, placing both hands on Emma's shoulders. "Do you want to know how it felt like when I dragged you and your father out of the ocean, and you weren't breathing? How it was like watching you laying still on my deck? You looked dead. You _were_ dead. Maybe for you it was only seconds, but to me…to us, it was hours! Don't you dare, ever, do something that reckless again. Find another way to deal with us, or I swear, I'll kill you myself!"

Only in that moment Hook realized he was clutching Emma's shoulders a little too tight and he was shaking her with a little more force than necessary. Imposing himself a little self-control, he immediately let her go.

"Like I said, lass," said Hook, turning his back on her. "Go back to sleep."

"No."

Hook let out a long-suffering sigh. "For crying out loud, woman, would it kill you to do as you're told for once in your life?"

"Not until I do what I came here for."

Before Hook could ask Emma what she meant, before he could leave, she was right next to him. Unable to move, he let Emma move closer, until he could feel the heat radiating from her body and her breath ticking the skin of his neck.

Hook couldn't help but close his eyes when he felt her soft lips pressing on his cheek, delivering the most chaste kiss that pirate had ever received from a woman, and yet, one he wouldn't soon forget.

"Thank you," whispered Emma. "For everything."

It would've been so easy, thought Killian. She was so close, he could've taken her in his arms in a matter of seconds. Maybe even kiss her, like his body was urging him to do. It would've been easy. But it wouldn't have been right. Not when she was still mourning Neal. But one day, they would find each other in the same position. And that day, Emma would get a lot more from him than a kiss on her cheek.

"The pleasure was mine, Emma," he replied. He then added, in his usual flirty voice, "Should I expect a kiss every time I save your life, love?"

That was enough to break the spell. Emma, as expected, put immediately some distance between them. Hook could almost spot the second her guard went back up. "Don't push your luck, Hook," she said, and a second later she left, on her way back to the camp.

Hook smirked, watching her leave.

"Love," he said, even if Emma couldn't hear him anymore, "pushing my luck is what I do best."


End file.
